


Harry Potter Drabbles - Gen

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, Pirates of the Caribbean
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Character Death, Community: lupin100, Community: snape100, Crossover, Drabble Collection, Drama, Gen, Holidays, Humor, Latin, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2004-12-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2017-10-12 22:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 66
Words: 7,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/129856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles with a variety of non-pairing-related situations in the Harry Potter-verse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Common Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione, in her first year at Hogwarts.

The scarred wood was strewn with leather-bound volumes and rolls of parchment, most of the latter already covered with her small neat handwriting, but just now Hermione's attention was not on the open page before her. Harry and Ron at the far end of the table were making their usual pretense at studying, but really they were talking about the latest Quidditch match.

Hermione ran her quill along the edge of the parchment that held her Arithmancy homework, double-checking it. The sound of laughter from the other end of the table raised the familiar double response of irritation and self-satisfaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Hermione drabble written for darkladyothsith for the holiday 2004.


	2. Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dobby enjoys working at Hogwarts during the holiday season.

"...seven, eight, nine!" Tilth laid the last candle down next to the multi-armed brass candlestick that stood in a window embrasure of the Ravenclaw dormitory. "Hurry, Dobby," she called. "The students are coming back!"

Her fellow house-elf quickly finished straightening the covers on the last of the six beds. Together they slipped out of the room before they were seen at work.

"We must remember to check the candles every day for the next week, so that if one burns too short we can replace it," Tilth remarked.

Dobby pulled up his mismatched socks. "Dobby will remember," he said proudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for jelazakazone, who asked for house-elves and Hanukkah for holiday 2004.


	3. Pensieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Dumbledore slips between past and present.

Sometimes when Dumbledore looked at Harry, it was James Potter he saw. The years melted away, and instead of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, it was Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew who seemed to be sitting next to the boy at the Gryffindor table. Time had taught Dumbledore to observe without being seen; a good thing. What he had done already had endangered Harry. Too-visible evidence of Dumbledore's attention – no, be honest, affection – would make matters worse. So he clapped his hands for the opening of the new year at Hogwarts, and kept his eyes turned away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for my Significant Other for Christmas, 2004, because he likes Dumbledore.


	4. Genealogy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco looks at the family tree tapestry. A double drabble.

The old tapestry had hung in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor since Draco could remember. He knew, in fact, that it had been there for several generations, taken down only for cleaning and to stitch in the most recent additions to the Malfoy clan. It was so familiar that he had never really looked at it until this summer holiday. But now his father was imprisoned in Azkaban, his mother drifted helplessly around the house, and Draco had little to occupy his time. At his order the house-elves had brought a rolling ladder down from the library, and he was tracing his ancestry backward, nose close to the dusty fabric as he moved higher and higher up the wall. Suddenly a crash shook the entire entrance.

When, later, Draco had had liniment applied to each of his contusions, a bandage wrapped around his sprained wrist, and an ice pack placed on the bump that purpled his forehead, his mother came into his room to ask how he had fallen from the ladder. Draco was unable to answer. The crack to his head had completely erased the memory of his shock at seeing the name "Helga Hufflepuff" among his ancestors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by request for darkladyothsith.


	5. Repose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even Alastor has his soft side.

Alastor Moody was irritable. Not that this was an unusual feeling for him; he had spent most of the last twenty years in a bad mood. It was part of what made him a good Auror. Every now and then, though, he needed to remind himself why it was important to track down the remaining Death Eaters and see them properly tried and gaoled in Azkaban. Today was such a day. He went out into the garden and knelt, painfully, next to the hutch where his bunny rabbit lived. "Time to play, Dandelion," he said, and stroked the soft pelt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For holiday 2005, edoraslass requested something with Mad-eye Moody, non-shippy, pre-Goblet of Fire, with the prompt "bunny rabbit."


	6. In the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione boards the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

From the moment she gets onto the Hogwarts Express, Hermione is well aware of her liabilities: Muggle-born, not pretty, too clever for her own good. She is determined that she will make each one into an asset. She will do her best to be the top in every class, better than any of the pure-bloods. She decides not to care about her appearance, reminding herself that true beauty is within, that loyalty and honor and courage and love are far more important than prettiness. And she will use her cleverness to help her friends – as soon as she makes any.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for neogrammarian for holiday 2005, who simply said that if I had a character I wanted to write, she'd take a drabble on that, and if not, no worries. So I wrote Hermione.


	7. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva finds the first day of the school year trying.

When she had begun teaching, each year the first-years seemed to be younger and more foolish. After a dozen years, that impression had ceased, but this year's entering students brought it back again. Minerva looked around the classroom and shook her head. Two empty seats. Perhaps it was not unexpected that Harry Potter would not know how to find his way around a magical building, although young Miss Granger had managed perfectly well. Minerva only hoped that Ronald Weasley's tardiness did not indicate he would follow in his nearest brothers' footsteps. Transfiguring back into human form, she snapped, "You're late."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final holiday 2005 drabble to be posted was for vulgarweed, who asked for a character moment for McGonagall.


	8. Weeding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy likes weeding.

Percy ignored the teasing of his brothers and sister when he was the only one who responded to their mother's plaintive request that _someone_ finally get around to weeding the garden today, before it was entirely smothered by greenery that rivaled the Venomous Tentacula in its proliferation. He _liked_ doing the weeding, actually, although of course he wasn't going to admit it to anyone else. But Percy found a certain satisfaction in seeing the cleared dark earth and the tidy piles of vegetables – carrots, radishes, onions – thinned from the rows, lying in the basket at the end of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I offered drabbles in celebration of my third anniversary on LiveJournal. florahart asked for "Any Weasley older than Ron; root vegetables."


	9. Motivation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why Sirius enjoys being Padfoot.

"If you're looking to impress me," Lupin said, "it's not working."

Sirius bared his teeth and growled more loudly, wishing that he could talk as Padfoot.

"I think it's impressive," said Pettigrew. Given his Animagus form, though, that wasn't saying much.

"Not bad," Potter shrugged. He'd been the first to master the transformation, and was annoyingly casual about it.

Sitting on his haunches, Sirius scratched at his ear. He _would_ get Lupin to acknowledge that being a dog was impressive. When the moon was next at the full, he would. In the meantime... he leapt at the other boy, licking his face, gratified when Lupin laughed and stroked his dark fur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for a first-line challenge at lupin100, and therefore 111 words as the first line was not to be counted.


	10. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus prefers candles to Muggle lights.

By candlelight, all edges are softer. Remus became accustomed to Muggle lights over the years – the harshness of fluorescents, the white glow of incandescents, even the wildly scintillating colors in Muggle clubs – but he never liked them.

The flickering golden flame is kind. The grey in his hair is less noticeable, Remus thinks, and the lines around his eyes seem less marked. It's foolish for him to be concerned about that, perhaps; were he as handsome as Gilderoy Lockhart, his lycanthropic nature would override his appearance. Yet he still lights the candles to look wistfully at his own mirrored image.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "By Candlelight" challenge at lupin100.


	11. Indelible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus refuses to get a tattoo with Sirius.

Sirius has talked about getting a tattoo for months, trying to persuade Remus to go along with him when Sirius has it done, maybe even get one himself. But every time he brings up the subject, Remus simply shakes his head.

"I don't want anything marked on me like that," he says, but never explains further, no matter how Sirius presses him.

In the spring Sirius helps Remus prepare for his N.E.W.T. in Muggle Studies, quizzing him over the textbook. When he skims over the chapter on the concentration camps, he stops asking Remus why he doesn't want a tattoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "Ink" challenge at lupin100.


	12. Bibliophilia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irma Pince loves books.

Although the library as a whole had its own atmosphere, a mingled scent of dust and ancient leather and a hint of mildew – the last was unavoidable, though at least there had been good anti-rodent charms in place since the fourteenth century – in the Restricted Section the air was stiff with the charms that protected individual tomes from use by the unauthorized. Madam Pince did not trust the school's house-elves to dust here. She took care of that herself, wiping grey motes from leaves and bindings with hands that trembled, caressing each volume like the lover she had never wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for neogrammarian for holiday 2006.


	13. Patronage Pays Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape gets some advice - from Aragorn.

"Trouble with the ladies?" The ghost leaned against Snape's cauldron, impervious to its heat.

"What?" Snape blinked.

"The hair." A transparent hand pointed to Snape's lank and greasy locks. "I used to go weeks without washing mine, trying to discourage them. Didn't often work, but I thought maybe you had better luck."

"Er, no." Snape stared and added, "Aren't you Aragorn son of Arathorn, the legendary king? I summoned you for advice on fighting a great evil."

"That's me." The ghost beamed. "Those bribes to the bards must have paid off if that's how I'm remembered."

"Oh, bugger," growled Snape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For holiday 2006 fourth_rose asked for an HP/LotR crossover, to be as cracky as I liked. Snape and Aragorn stepped forth.


	14. Keeping the Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus has a secret admirer.

Remus watched Lily flush, reading the Valentine's Day card that James had given her. James was smirking, pleased with himself, sorting through his own cards.

"Hey, Peter, did you send one to Pamela, or did you get cold feet as usual?" Sirius nudged Remus. "How many do you have? Did Eleanor Tugwood send one? I heard her nattering on to Lily in Herbology."

Carefully Remus stacked them together. "Six. I'll open them later. We'll be late to Charms if we don't hurry." He said nothing about the seventh card, the one that mattered more than all the rest put together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "Valentine's Day" challenge at lupin100.


	15. Apprehension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Neville talk. A double drabble.

"I'm afraid." Neville hadn't meant to say the words. Hunching his shoulders and looking down, he risked a glance at the boy beside him in the chilly cellar.

But to his amazement and relief, Harry didn't seem scornful or even surprised. "I am sometimes, too," said Harry quietly. "Why are you?"

Neville chewed at his lip. "Making a mistake, I suppose. I mean -- everyone will be depending on us. What if I do something wrong and it all falls apart?"

"But the consequences of not trying would be worse," Harry pointed out. "And it's not as if you'll be the only one. I'll be there, and everyone else." Harry was fiddling with a piece of parchment that had been folded into a small square, turning it over and over in his fingers. Even from a few feet away, Neville could see that the edges were dirty and frayed, and he suddenly realized that this was Harry's way of coping with the same anxiety that he himself felt.

It helped, to know that. Neville took a deep breath and reached out his hand to Harry, who took it. Harry's fingers were warm and dry and rough where he bit them. "Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very belatedly for thrihyrne's birthday; she asked for "consequences."


	16. Molestation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James gets more of a thrill from bullying than anyone guesses.

James never felt more alive than at those moments, lapping up his friends' emotions as if he could get drunk on them: Sirius' conspiratorial glee, Remus' horrified fascination, Peter's unquestioning regard. Even when Lily Evans made her disgust clear, James didn't mind. She was, after all, paying attention. But it was the helpless hatred in Snivellus' eyes that most gratified him. He stared back, memorizing every detail. Snivellus' loathing rolled off him in waves, pounding into James, setting up an answering throb in his prick. He bit back a moan at the thought of fisting himself to that rhythm later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This bunny seized me with long pointy teeth and wouldn't let go till I wrote it. Yeesh.


	17. Darkness Before Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus is looking for work.

_It could be worse._ Remus shook the man's hand. The interview had become pointless once Remus mentioned that the Ministry had to be informed of his employment. _But how?_

He was thirty-four. The last of the money from his parents had just run out and his condition made it nearly impossible to find work.

 _I look like a kicked puppy,_ he realized ruefully, catching his reflection in a shop window. That made him remember Sirius, brought back the mingled sense of anger and loss.

He thought about spending two Sickles for tea, but his rent was due. Every Knut helped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Random Word Generator challenge at lupin100; my word was "kicked."


	18. First Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Remus's birthday at school.

"Happy birthday!" Peter spoke first, even before they went to breakfast.

"Wait, is it your birthday already? Happy birthday, then," said Sirius, jostling him as they raced down the stairs.

An owl brought a parcel from his parents: a hat, muffler, and gloves. Remus tried not to be disappointed, telling himself that winter lasted longer in the north.

"Here." James spoke abruptly. "My mum chose them, but they're from the three of us."

Remus unwrapped a box full of sweets. Popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth, he grinned and held the box out to share with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "Happy Birthday, Lupin!" challenge at lupin100.


	19. A Wizard's Staff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Molly teaches Minerva a song.

"It's very kind of you to spend New Year's Eve with me," said Molly.

"I'm happy to do it." Minerva poured more Scotch. "Is Arthur at the Ministry, or with the Order?"

"I'm not sure. He did tell me, but I was so busy changing Bill's nappies that I don't remember." She began to hum softly.

Minerva listened. "That sounds familiar. What are the words?"

"Oh, dear." Molly giggled. "They're rather bawdy..."

When Minerva returned to her rooms at Hogwarts very late that night, she was singing softly under her breath, "A wizard's staff has a knob at the end..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for a_d_medievalist for my fourth LJ anniversary; she asked for Molly and Minerva and gave the prompt "a wizard's staff".


	20. Allaying a Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus buys Jack Sparrow a drink.

"Fetch him another. And one for me, too."

The stool beside Severus had been occupied. Severus was not well-versed in Muggle fashion, but he knew that hair braided with bangles was uncommon for a man who looked near Severus' own age.

The whisky arrived. The stranger drank his in a single gulp, saying, "Not bad, though I prefer rum, myself."

Severus cleared his throat. "May I ask your purpose here?"

A grin revealed the glint of golden teeth. "Reliable sources inform me that you are the man to see for a potion to ameliorate certain effects of the full moon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by lyonette for my fourth LJ anniversary. She wanted Snape and Sparrow, with the prompt "whisky".


	21. Unanticipated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione is not used to lacking for words.

Hermione is not used to lacking for words. She has swum in an ocean of words since she can remember: words printed in books, words scribbled on parchment, words spoken across the air of a room.

Today tears slide down her cheeks, salt-streaking them, and she wonders how long the ocean of her grief – so many grieving now – will replace that of the words she treasures.

Later, she will again find words. She will speak above two coffins, of love and of courage and of desperate hope. Today, though, her tears bear the weight of the speech she cannot utter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione drabble; implied character death. Written for sullacat, for mctabby's Cat's Birthday HP Drabblethon IV. Prompt: "Tears at times have all the weight of speech." Your favorite character.


	22. First Meeting [Primus Congressus]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new boy, Severus, joins Master Albus's _schola_ in ancient Rome. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Alternate Universe challenge at lupin100. Because I am the world's biggest dork, I decided that if the drabble was going to be set in classical Rome, I should have a version in Latin. Enormous thanks to tiruncula who turned my rough translation into something much more grammatical, and then tweaked it so that it is also 100 words!

**First Meeting**

"Boys, a new student is joining us." Master Albus led the dark-haired, scowling boy to the bench. "I am sure you will all make Severus welcome."

An elbow nudged Remus' ribs. "My father says that his mother was a _barbarian_ from northern Gaul," Sirius whispered.

Petrus let out a high-pitched giggle, and Jacobus smirked. "A half-barbarian? Oh, we'll make him _very_ welcome."

Remus listened as Severus recited, and after dismissal as he spoke with one of the older boys, Lucius, about alchemy.

Halfway to the forum Remus caught up with him. "Severus? I'm Remus."

Severus' wariness melted into a smile.

* * *

  
 **Primus Congressus**

"Pueri, ecce novus discipulus. Socius erit nobis." Magister Albus ad scamnum duxit puerum. Erat illi puero crines nigri et frons contracta. "Pro certo habeo ut Severus sit acceptus et eum excipiatis."

Alicuius cubitum Remo costas fodicauit. "Pater meus dicit matrem illius _barbaram_ fuisse, de Gallia Transalpina septentrionali," susurrauit Sirius.

Petrus risit modo virginis, et Jacobus subrisit. "Semibarbarus est? Illum accipiemus, _certe_."

Remus audiebat dum recitabat Severus, et post discipulorum dimissionem audiebat dum Severus loquebatur de alchemia cum uno de pueris maiusculis, Lucio nomine.

Prope forum, Remus Severum adsecutus est. "Severe?" dixit. "Mihi nomen est Remus."

Cautio Severi in risum dissolvit.


	23. First Days Are Always Difficult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dumbledore's first day as Headmaster.

One injured student (a first-year Hufflepuff, fallen off her broom). Two exploding cauldrons in the Potions classroom (as reported by Horace Slughorn). Three Howlers from assorted parents (Professor Dippet had warned him that would happen). Four times his tea had gone cold (when he was interrupted by crisis after crisis).

Five minutes of nine, now, and Albus Dumbledore stopped totting up the catastrophes of the day on his fingers and popped a sherbet lemon into his mouth.

"You needn't sneer, Phineas," he said mildly to one of the portraits on the wall to his left. "First days are always difficult."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for aome, part of my offer for my 4th LJ anniversary. She asked for a snippet from Dumbledore's first day as Headmaster.


	24. Lessons in Respect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco, towards the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Respect age, they said. He was older than both of them put together.

Respect wisdom, they said. He served on the Wizengamot for years.

Respect power, they said. He had defeated Grindelwald, although no one knew quite how.

Respect authority, they said. He ran a school into which they themselves had placed me.

They never told me that I should respect someone whose ideas were... arbitrary at best, but then, they didn't have to. I witnessed their subservience to the madman myself.

With such lessons, how could they have expected that I would be able to carry out this task?


	25. Inside Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy makes a secret agreement.

"You know what you'll have to do."

The words bear a meaning that Percy can't quite decipher. It will be a relief not always to be the one who doesn't quite fit in.

"I'm willing," he says aloud.

"Very well. You won't know who collects your information, and you must ensure that it will not identify you. If your instructions change, you'll receive a message; it will contain the word 'ferrule' as verification."

Percy nods. Someday his family will forgive him, he is sure. The Order of the Phoenix depends on his help, even if they don't yet know it.


	26. Astray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus is lost.

_Where is it?_

Severus strode along the night-dim street, searching for the correct building. Number eighty-two, he was certain that was it, yet Southborough Road was not long enough to have buildings with a number so high. He had gone from Langley Avenue to Hook Road, and it simply didn't exist.

 _Damn it, did the Dark Lord send me on a wild-goose chase?_

He pulled the scrap of parchment from his pocket and peered at it. Number eighty-two, yes, but – Southborough Road, _Bromley_ , not Southborough Road, _Kingston-upon-Thames_.

If he Apparated right now, he might not be too late. He hoped.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "Wikipedia" challenge at snape100. The random page given me was Southborough, London.


	27. Emulate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy has always admired his big brother Bill.

Percy wrote to Bill as soon as he heard he would be Head Boy at Hogwarts the next year. It wasn't that he wanted to _compete_ with Bill. Bill was simply one of those fortunate few who had a charmed life, and something in Percy hoped that by being as much like Bill as possible, some of that might rub off on himself. Charlie was lucky, too, but Percy knew that Charlie's abilities were not his own. No, he'd strive to be like his eldest brother. If he could not match him in assuredness, he might outdo him in influence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Indirectly inspired by emiime's request for my personal canon for Percy.


	28. The Norwegian Ridgeback Rescue Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Romania, Charlie gets a letter.

When the letter arrived Charlie didn't hesitate. He went straight to his supervisor.

"A dragon?" said Edvard incredulously.

"A Norwegian Ridgeback," Charlie agreed. "I've no idea how he got the egg, but if anyone could hatch it successfully, it would be Hagrid. He can't keep it though. May I bring it here?"

"Of course."

"Alessandro?"

Alessandro grinned tightly. "Carlo will want to help, too."

"Just one thing. It's illegal..."

Edvard shook his head. "Illegal for him to have, perhaps, not for us to bring it to the reserve. And I know nothing."

"Thanks." Charlie grinned. "I'll tell you what happens."


	29. Wedding Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny make commitments... only not to each other.

Harry was handsome in his formal dress robes, his hair for once tamed into thick waves. Ginny's hand automatically went to her own hair, her fingers twitching at the unfamiliar feel of her lace veil. Around them the guests danced.

"Are you happy?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled at him, feeling the warmth of his hands on her waist, through ivory satin. "Very."

"I'm glad."

They were silent for a moment, and then she said, "I can tell that you're as happy with Draco as I am with Oliver. It's a good thing that we didn't marry each other, after all."


	30. O To Be a Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill has a new little brother.

The strangeness of having Mummy in bed in the middle of the day, not bustling around taking care of him and Charlie, was enough to make Bill solemn and still as he stood there.

Mummy wasn't asleep. She lay propped up on the pillows and reached out one hand. "Would you like to meet your little brother?"

Bill nodded. "What's his name?"

"We haven't decided yet. Either Edmund or Percival, most likely."

"Percival," Bill said instantly. Daddy had been reading him stories of Merlin and King Arthur and his knights. "I'll teach him to be the best knight," he promised.


	31. The Slow Moon Climbs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus, called back by the Resurrection Stone.

Remus John Lupin had always taken the easier path, done whatever would keep his friends happy. His marriage to Nymphadora had been a mistake; he knew that beforehand, but each attempt to extricate himself only trapped him further. When Harry insulted his actions and motives, it was clear that there was no way out until he died.

He hadn't expected death so soon. There was a certain irony to being called back by Harry himself with the Resurrection Stone, and standing there with Lily and James and Sirius. In death, he decided, he would at last choose his own fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "Moving On" challenge at lupin100. The title is from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Ulysses," ll. 54-57: "The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks: / The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep / Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends, / 'T is not too late to seek a newer world."


	32. Screening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus spends his evenings at the cinema.

The cinema is warm and dry and safe, shabby though it is. It is Remus's favorite place to spend his evenings, now that he is alone. When he has the money, he pays admission, but on other nights he uses a Confundus spell on the girl who sells the tickets. He has long since quelled his conscience on this point. The old films they show here – _film noir_ , he has learned, is the proper term – reflect the ambiguity of Remus's own life, the questionable morality he pursues these days. He lets the black-and-white images wash over him, clearing his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for deianaera for holiday 2007.


	33. Well Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of Neville's first term at Hogwarts... as a professor.

Neville stretched his feet towards his fire contentedly, lifting the wassail cup, enjoying the warm spiced wine.

"Happy Yule," he said aloud, startled to hear a reply.

"To you, too. I trust you've had a good first term?" Nearly Headless Nick appeared before him.

"Yes, although teaching has been... challenging. Even with Pomona's old lesson plans," he paused to marvel once again at calling Professor Sprout 'Pomona', "I've been nervous. But the students seem to be doing well, so I suppose I'm all right."

"Excellent." Sir Nicholas looked pleased. "True Gryffindor courage coming through. I always knew you'd do well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for coffee_n_cocoa for holiday 2007.


	34. Joining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius is pleased with his Animagus form.

James finds out Remus's secret, but it's Sirius who has the idea of learning to be Animagi to keep their friend company. Peter helps by making sure that Remus stays out of the way while the other two practice; this means that Peter is last to master the technique, but eventually he does. Sirius knows from the beginning that he will have no choice in his form, but he is delighted when he becomes the big black dog. He'll be able to communicate with the werewolf best of them all, and can hardly wait to tell Remus what they've done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for magnetic_pole for holiday 2007.


	35. Experiments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flitwick takes pride in his work.

Few in the wizarding world realized the effort developing new charms required. Students, of course, tended to be completely oblivious; only the brightest, like young Miss Granger, evinced any hint of understanding, even in their N.E.W.T.-level essays. That was to be expected, but his colleagues were equally oblivious. Filius was quite prepared to acknowledge the hard work that Minerva and Severus put into their experiments; he wished they would accord him the same courtesy. Instead he would simply have to take satisfaction in the fact that he had developed no fewer than eighty-seven new charms in his time at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for neogrammarian for holiday 2007.


	36. For Remembrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna sets a holiday table.

Everything was ready. Luna set the cherry pie which she had decorated with curlicues of pastry in the center of the table, stepped back, and nodded to herself. More than a dozen places were set. She laid sprigs of holly and mistletoe and rosemary on each empty plate save for two, one for her father and one for herself. They would eat in good cheer and remember those who were absent. No ghosts were expected or wanted; the dead should lie in peace, but that did not mean the living could not hold them in their hearts on this holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for verdenia for holiday 2007.


	37. Hydrophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he was tiny, Draco had feared water, any water.

When he was tiny, Draco had feared water, any water. He screamed when he was bathed: his nurse used cleaning charms on him until he was three. Then his father had a talk with him. Draco could not remember the precise words, but from that day on he protested no more.

He still disliked water, however. When the Triwizard champions disappeared into the lake he worked hard to repress the shudder of fear he experienced, imagining himself in their position. He stood, tense with an apprehension he refused to acknowledge, until one by one they reemerged, Harry last of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for lillithium for holiday 2007.


	38. Fantastic Beasts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie wonders, sometimes, what his life would be like as a Muggle.

Charlie wonders, sometimes, what his life would be like as a Muggle, or if he had been born a Squib. He wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts, wouldn't have played Quidditch, wouldn't now be working with dragons, which he loves. He would perhaps have played rugby at school instead, and been captain of the school team. He's not sure what job he might have held, until one evening, when he's in England on holiday, visiting Ginny and Harry, he sees a program on Muggle television about whales and hears their songs. Whales, he thinks, would be a worthy substitute for dragons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for florahart for holiday 2007.


	39. Removal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus hates to move.

You'd think that he'd be used to it, Remus thought sourly, but though he hadn't had a settled home since he'd been a student at Hogwarts, he still hated it each time he had to find a new semi-furnished place, learn a new configuration of rooms, cope with the bare minimum of kitchen equipment provided. He switched on the kettle, dropped a tea bag in a chipped mug, and pulled out the packet of sugar he'd bought. Then he looked for a spoon, rummaging in the drawers with an increasing sense of angry and bewildered futility. There was no spoon.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "There is no spoon" challenge at lupin100.


	40. It's Lovely Rice Pudding for Dinner Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy's favorite has always been rice pudding the way that his mother made it.

Percy's favorite has always been rice pudding the way that his mother made it, thick, not too sweet, fragrant with cinnamon, raisins scattered throughout like buried treasure.

He never learned how to make it. During the years of his estrangement from his family, Percy tried the rice pudding in every café he could find, bought it from every Muggle market, but it was never quite right.

When Percy shamefacedly went to Sunday dinner at the Burrow, a fortnight after Fred's funeral, his mother made rice pudding, and Percy clenched his fists, nails cutting into his palms, to stop the tears.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is from the poem "Rice Pudding" by A.A. Milne.


	41. To Love a Werewolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who could ever love a werewolf?

"Who could ever love a werewolf?" Remus knew the question was unfair; Sirius had loved him, and if he no longer did it was due to Azkaban-wrought changes, not to Remus's lycanthropy.

Bracing his palms against the cold enamel of the basin, he inspected his reflection in the mottled mirror. Hair rapidly graying; scars networking his body; most of all, weariness lingering longer after each painful transformation. Tonks claimed to love him, but she was over-kind.

No, that was a lie. It wasn't that no one could love a werewolf. It was that the one that Remus wanted did not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the "werewolf love" challenge at lupin100.


	42. The Persistence of Virtue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Appearance and reality are not necessarily the same. Snape, Neville, Alecto & Amycus Carrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: implied torture. Written for the "Snape and time" challenge at snape100.

Snape forced himself to let the slow minutes tick by. He disliked the Carrows' methods and the evident pleasure they took in this, but he dared not interfere too quickly. Finally he judged that the torture had persisted long enough.

"Alecto." His voice was a lash. "Amycus. Leave him now."

"Fond of this one, are you?" Amycus sneered, but his wand hand dropped.

Severus snorted. "Hardly. Longbottom is one of the least competent students it has ever been my misfortune to teach. Longbottom. Go."

With quiet satisfaction he watched Longbottom square his shoulders and glare at his tormentors before departing.


	43. In His Keeping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius is taking Care of Magical Creatures.

Scorpius could feel the rapid heartbeat of the tiny creature pulsing against his palm, and its claws pricked him faintly as it stretched out. It seemed unfrightened, however, and he found himself holding his breath as it settled down to sleep, whiskers twitching.

"Getting on well with it, are yeh, Malfoy?" Professor Hagrid's huge form loomed up over him.

"Yes, sir." Scorpius stroked the sleek fur of the Jarvey gently.

"Tha's good. Mebbe yeh'd like ter make a project out o' raising him?"

With the Jarvey snuggled against him in absolute trust, Scorpius nodded. "I'd like that very much indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for lilian_cho, who asked for Draco or Scorpius Malfoy and gave the prompt of [this picture](http://downloads.lanthano.org/lilian_cho/truffles2.jpg).


	44. Gathered Together Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lupin and Snape meet by chance at a wedding.

"What are you doing here?" Lupin slid into the pew.

"I was invited." Snape's expression was sour. Lupin supposed him distantly related to either bride or groom.

"I haven't been inside a church in ages," he said conversationally, looking around. Rather to his surprise, Snape responded in kind.

"Nor have I. When I was a child I was as likely to be in the synagogue."

"The synagogue?"

Snape shrugged uncomfortably. "My mother's father took me. My father's parents were Muggle and Anglican. I was the pawn in family arguments... probably why I have no fervor for faith of any sort."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for ellid, who asked for Snape, Lupin, Anglican church service.


	45. Sins of Omission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are reasons why Remus doesn't believe.

Remus dropped a coin into the church's donation box as he entered. The stones were uneven underfoot, names once carefully inscribed now almost illegible. Dark box pews prevented him from crossing directly to the window whose stained glass purported to replicate an original that had shown all Creation: plants and animals, birds and fish, angels and humans. He appreciated the labor that had gone into it, each fragment lovingly shaped, sharp edges sealed away in lead. The driving impulse, though, was foreign to him – how could he subscribe to a belief that had no place for his kind in it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for ellid who wanted Remus Lupin in a medieval church.


	46. Estimation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy is impressed by his Potions professor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For lesyeuxverts, who wanted Percy, foolish wand-waving.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving in this class."

Percy's very first day at Hogwarts, Professor Snape's words struck something in him. It wasn't that he agreed that using a wand was _foolish_ , so much, but the Gryffindors had already had their first Charms lesson and he did think that a lot of his classmates looked silly waving their new wands to absolutely no effect.

And, well, there was something about the stern proud look that swept over the class of shivering first-years, there in the dungeon, that made Percy sit up and want to earn Professor Snape's unconditional approbation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For lesyeuxverts, who wanted Percy, foolish wand-waving.


	47. Great Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva visits the Longbottoms.

The tea was hot and bitter. Minerva would have considered adding honey, but all that Augusta had on the tray was lump sugar.

Outside on the grass, visible through the open french doors, a brown-haired, serious-faced, chubby child played by himself with a ball.

"He just doesn't show any signs of magic," Augusta said. "None! I'm so afraid he's a Squib."

Minerva patted her friend's hand. "Don't saddle Neville with your own expectations," she said firmly. "Time enough to be concerned when he's nine or ten."

Neville couldn't hear the words, but his habitual expression of worry relaxed for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for gingersnapps, who wanted McGonagall and Neville and "expectations".


	48. Caretaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Argus Filch needs a job.

_Wanted: Caretaker for Hogwarts. Squib preferred. Apply to Headmaster Dumbledore by 30 June._

The advert practically leapt from the pages of the _Daily Prophet_ as Argus flicked through it. He wrote his letter of application that day.

"Why a Squib?" Try as he might, Argus's voice cracked on the last, hated word.

"Ah." Dumbledore leaned back comfortably, his eyes twinkling. "Students often have poor control of their magic. If the cleaning and maintenance were done magically, the interactions could be unpredictable, but a Muggle would be unsuitable for the position."

Argus nodded. It made sense. "I can start right away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> snegurochka_lee suggested that non-Terminus-goers might challenge themselves by writing characters or pairings they disliked, and suggested I write Filch.


	49. Precocity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy has always enjoyed mental challenges.

At the age of three, Percy had taught himself to read. From then on he devoured books. Quite easy ones to begin with, but by the time he started at Hogwarts he was saving his pocket money to buy all sorts of books at the secondhand shop in Ottery St Catchpole. He enjoyed books of logic puzzles and similar mental games, and spent an entire week of the summer holiday between his second and third years at school constructing palindromes, something he could do while helping Charlie de-gnome the garden or watching Ginny to make sure she didn't wander off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For florahart, whose prompt was "palindrome."


	50. For the Honor of Hufflepuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cedric makes a decision.

The Triwizard Tournament. Cedric heard the news with mingled anticipation and apprehension. Despite the age limitation, he was eligible -- if he dared.

He pondered for weeks, in classes, at meals, while practicing Quidditch in his yellow robes. His father's great-great-great-aunt Edwina had been the Hogwarts champion once, although she hadn't won. But she had been a Gryffindor. Cedric worked hard, but he wasn't sure if he was brave enough to risk death.

In the end he decided to do it. Every other House had at least one aspiring champion; Cedric would put his name forward for the honor of Hufflepuff.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For emiime who wanted Cedric, prompt "yellow."


	51. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco never expected this.

"Count the ballots again."

"We've counted them three times already. The results are quite clear. We'll make the announcement tomorrow."

Draco heard the voices but disregarded them as he was hurrying back from his tea break to finish his report; he was recommending an adjustment in the excise imposed on certain magical potions ingredients. He wanted it to be on minister Weasley's desk before he left.

Upon arrival at the Ministry the next day, Draco was astonished to be greeted with flashing cameras as the announcement was made that Draco Malfoy had been chosen as Ministry Employee of the Year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For karaz who wanted Draco Malfoy, vote.


	52. Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Millicent would prove that she was better than anyone thought.

Millicent knew what her fellow Slytherins thought of her. Big and dumb and ugly; Sorted into Slytherin because she was a pureblood, and neither clever nor hard-working nor brave. Well. Her lips thinned in determination. She might be fat and unattractive, but there wasn't much she could do about that. If she started dieting, that cow Pansy was sure to notice and taunt her. But she could go to the library and study. There were a number of little alcoves with desks where she could work without being seen. Yes. Millicent would prove that she was better than anyone thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For juniperus who asked for Millicent Bulstrode, library.


	53. Gilderoy's Perfect Christmas Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gilderoy knows exactly what he wants for Christmas.

Snowflakes drifted past the uncurtained window. Gilderoy cocked his head, watching them.

"Yes, it's nearly Christmas," said Matron, coming in to announce suppertime. "We'll have to think what you might like for Christmas, won't we?"

"New shoes," said Gilderoy firmly, holding out his foot.

She looked doubtful. "Wouldn't you rather have a nice picture book?"

"No." Gilderoy shook his head. "New shoes. With pointed toes and silver sparkles."

"If that's really what you want, dear," Matron patted his hand, "we'll do the best we can. Now eat your nice soup, and we'll have a cream slice for you."

Gilderoy smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For littleblackbow who wanted Gilderoy, new pair of shoes, winter.


	54. The Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna has a special connection with Hogwarts.

When she first came to Hogwarts, Luna laid her hands on the great old building, feeling its aged solidity. She whispered her name and listened to its sounds: the resounding clatter of students hurrying between classes, the hollow echo of ghostly conversations in the corridors, the almost undetectable tinkling of winter's snowflakes against the windows.

Luna never had difficulty finding the Room of Requirement or getting inside, not when Dumbledore's Army met, nor in her sixth year when the war began. She felt as if the castle knew her, welcomed her, and would help her with whatever she might need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For verdenia who wanted Luna, "building."


	55. Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape receives a letter.

The parchment crackled as Snape drew it toward himself, over the wood of a desk worn by generations of hands. How many? It didn't matter, really. Enough that it was not-quite smooth, the grain rising against his fingertips as he rubbed them absentmindedly on the surface. He lifted the folded and sealed letter and recognized whose hand had scrawled his name. Biting his lip, Snape cracked the wax of the seal and began to read. He had anticipated receiving this, though he hadn't known when it might arrive. All the instructions were there, the letter unsigned for both their safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For ancarett who wanted Snape, "parchment."


	56. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron finally feels special.

As the youngest of six Weasley sons, Ron might have felt special... except that he wasn't the _absolute_ youngest, that was Ginny, and her being the only girl as well rather put Ron's claim into the shade.

Becoming friends with Harry Potter was pretty cool too, Ron didn't deny that. Harry _was_ the Boy Who Lived, after all, and that he'd picked Ron as his best mate meant Ron must be special himself.

It didn't always feel like it, though. Harry was as good as or better than Ron in all their classes, _and_ he was brilliant at Quidditch to boot, whereas Ron felt a right old fraud most of the time he played as Keeper. He knew, if no one else did, how nearly he mucked up almost every save. He even suspected, darkly, that he'd been let on the team just because he was Harry's friend.

Not until he was accepted for Auror training did Ron feel that he'd come into his own. He'd earned _that_ place not by birth, or friendship, or deception of any kind, but through his own hard work and persistence, and for once when people congratulated him, he felt no embarrassment at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For aome, who wanted Ron solo or with anyone in his generation, "coming into his own."


	57. Year's Turning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna has an annual ritual.

"The holly and the ivy," Luna sings, her breathy voice hanging in the still air. She reaches with mittened hands to brush away the snow from the stone.

Names leap out at her. She reads them aloud, one by one, before laying her offering of greenery at the stone's foot. The dead crowd around her as they do each midwinter.

Neville asked her once why she came at this time, instead of on the anniversary of the battle. She does it because this is the dawn of the new year, a time to recall the past and face the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the holidays, 2009.


	58. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus is dedicated to having the best possible components for his potions.

The rain made Severus's hair hang in lank dripping strands. He ignored the icy trickle under his collar, intent on locating the elusive fungus. He would not have chosen such a night, but amanita's potency was greatest when collected in the dark of the moon.

"Lumos," he murmured, and raised his wand so that its pale glow illuminated the dank mould of the forest floor.

It took another forty minutes of searching before he had located and stowed the precious mushrooms in the basket he had brought. Only then did he hurry back to his chilly, but thankfully dry, quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For odogoddess, who wanted Snape, rain, hair.


	59. Light, Dark, Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His dungeon rooms always seemed somehow dim, but Severus didn't mind. A double drabble.

His dungeon rooms always seemed somehow dim, no matter how many candles the house-elves had set to blazing in the wall sconces.

Severus didn't mind. He had spent seven years as a student in Slytherin House. While there had been less-than-fortunate moments in those years (he refused to remember the grinning Gryffindors who had brought him the most misery), on the whole they had been good.

It had not been until after he left Hogwarts that he had joined with Lord Voldemort, and that first meeting had been in sunlight. Not what one might have expected, but Severus clearly recalled the brightness of Lucius Malfoy's hair and the glint of Voldemort's rings as they spoke with him. Strange.

When, later, he had realised the error of his choice and sought out Albus Dumbledore to make amends, he had met the Headmaster in the dim smoky environs of the Hog's Head pub. Further contacts with Dumbledore and the Order had been in equally dismal surroundings.

Dark and light, evil and good—nothing was ever as it seemed. Severus would remain in this twilight, his dungeon room, trapped for his own protection until freed by changes he could neither predict nor control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For juniperus; she inadvertently gave me two different prompts, and I wrote both, so she gets an extra (early) double-drabble.


	60. Abundance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Harry's grown up, he celebrates _properly_.

Harry's childhood Christmases had never been exactly holidays. Mostly they meant extra cleaning and washing up, and watching Dudley open his elaborately wrapped parcels while Harry received one of Dudley's old jumpers shoved in a Tesco bag.

Once celebrating Christmas as a proper adult, therefore, Harry went wild. Fairy lights, tinsel, mistletoe, holly, ribbons, candles: if it was festive and seasonal, Harry had it on display.

The effect overwhelmed, especially with the addition of platters of treats and bowls of wine punch for Harry's party. No one criticized, however. His friends were only too thankful to be there at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for holiday 2010.


	61. Heroism Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neville is interviewed by the _Daily Prophet_ the day after the Battle of Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A drabble-and-a-half, at 150 words.

The aftermath of the battle and the next few days were a blur to Neville, but one moment stood out sharply from all the muddle.

The _Daily Prophet_ reporter poised his quill and cocked his head at Neville. "How do you feel as one of yesterday's heroes?" he asked. "Happy? Proud? Relieved? All of the above? Our readers will be curious to know."

Neville shook his head slowly, unsure how to describe his roiling emotions. "Not proud. Relieved, I suppose."

The reporter gave a sympathetic nod and scribbled Neville's response before asking a few more questions.

Afterward Neville considered the matter again. Proud? Pride was the furthest thing from his mind. He had done what he had no choice but to do; it didn't seem right to take pride in that. He wondered if that was how Harry felt, too, and decided he would talk to Harry about it soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For pegkerr from aome, who suggested Neville, "proud/pride".


	62. Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus watches the students flying.

Severus stands at the window of the Headmaster's study, watching a dozen students on brooms soar around the Quidditch field.

He had never been much of a flyer himself. Oh, he could manage a broom well enough when necessary, but when young he'd never had the money to buy a decent broom, and as he grew older, it had never seemed necessary. He could always travel by Floo, or Apparition, or for the occasional long journey, Portkey.

Today, though, as the students dart through the crisp autumn air, Severus wishes that he too could take flight, perhaps never to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For angela_snape, who wanted Severus, "flight".


	63. Book Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione makes herself a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For ancarett, who asked for Hermione, Flourish and Blotts.

To a girl of Hermione's tastes, Flourish & Blotts was far and away the most fascinating of all the shops in Diagon Alley. She purchased her school books there, of course, but quite a lot more besides.

During the year she searched for Horcruxes with Harry and Ron, what she missed most was perusing the quarterly shop catalogue, or rather, not so much _reading_ the catalogue as _ordering_ from it. She was forced to be contented with re-reading a few favorites from her bag. 

Hermione promised herself that, if they survived, she would buy any and every book she wanted.


	64. Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva McGonagall has applied for the Transfiguration post at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double drabble, written for aome who asked for Minerva and Albus with the prompt "introduction."

"The third applicant is here to see you, Headmaster," announced Miss Whisp. "Minerva McGonagall."

"Good afternoon, Miss McGonagall," Albus greeted her, rising and holding out his hand.

"Mrs.," she corrected him briskly. Her grasp was firm. Before he could invite her to sit down, she had. "Widowed nearly three years now."

Albus nodded. "And you wanted to be doing something useful."

"Indeed." She gave him a wry smile. "I presume you would like a demonstration of my abilities?"

"Please." Albus leaned back and watched as she Transfigured a stone paperweight into a succession of objects and animals, ranging from a crystal goblet to a rabbit to a Chinese dragon mask. "And you've experience teaching?"

"My own children, until they came to school, and my nieces and nephews. Nothing more formal."

Neither of the other candidates had even that much, and her abilities were impressive. Albus made his decision.

"Can you begin immediately? Professor Horne's unexpected death has left us in difficulties. I've been taking his classes myself, but..." He gestured in discontent at that necessity. "I should be most grateful, Mrs. McGonagall."

"Minerva." She smiled and straightened the tartan bow at her neck. "I'll fetch my things and start tomorrow."


	65. Antipathy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Petunia, Lily's death was one more cause for resentment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Aome, who asked for Petunia, with the prompt "Lily's death."

For Petunia, Lily's death was one more cause for resentment. To be saddled with raising Lily's son was the culmination of the unfairnesses Petunia had felt since Lily's birth. The new baby had been both prettier and more delicate, and had usurped the greater share of their parents' attention. Then Lily had proved to be a witch. Not that Petunia had _wanted_ to have such an unnatural talent, mind you, but again it was something that brought Lily undeserved credit and consideration.

When they were older, though Petunia had married a solidly successful man, Lily's husband was far more dashing and handsome, making Lily envied whereas Petunia's marriage aroused only congratulatory indifference from her friends.

Nevertheless, there _were_ occasional moments when Petunia missed Lily, missed the admiration and affection of a younger sister. She despised her own weakness, however, and seeing Lily's green eyes in Harry's face provoked her antipathy.


	66. Winter Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minerva curls up by her fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for my holiday drabble cards, 2015.

The autumn term was over. Every book was back to its proper place, each stray piece of parchment had been tidied away, and the house-elves had dusted, polished, and mopped every surface until it shone.

Fir boughs cast a clean scent, and their dark green was enlivened by the red berries and shiny leaves of holly, and the softer green and white of mistletoe.

A flick of the wand lighted the great oak log in the fireplace. Minerva sank into the comfort of her favorite chair and sipped from her wassail cup, remembering all the winters that had come before.


End file.
